The once and future mayor, Thurston Smith

BY BEAU YARBROUGH

Wednesday

Dec 2, 2009 at 7:51 AMDec 3, 2009 at 11:27 AM

Thurston "Smitty" Smith is Hesperia's mayor for a second year in a row.

At the first Hesperia City Council meeting in December each year, the council chooses a new mayor and mayor pro tem. They're largely ceremonial roles, although some mayors have thrown themselves into the role more than others.

Normally, the current mayor pro tem, who fills the role when the mayor is unavailable, is elevated to mayor the next year. Not this year, though.

At Tuesday night's council meeting, when it time to nominate a new mayor, there was silence. After a few moments, Vogler broke it and nominated herself. There was silence again. With no council members seconding the motion, the measure died.

Vogler then nominated Councilman Paul Bosacki as mayor pro tem, and the measure quickly and quietly passed by a unanimous vote.

A moment later, Councilman Mike Leonard then nominated Smith for a second term, and the motion passed by a 5-0 vote. He becomes one of a select group of council members ever to serve as mayor in back to back terms, along with Bruce Kitchen, Percy Bakker and Jim Lindley.

Vogler, the heir apparent, getting passed over for the top position on the council in favor of the incumbent echoes a similar situation on the Hesperia Unified School District school board in 2008. Board vice-president Lee Rogers, who clearly expected to take over the presidential role from Robert Kirk, ended up retaining the role when Kirk was nominated for a second time and accepted the position. (He stepped down from the position in April 2009.)

In the council member comment period at the end of the meeting, Vogler said she had gotten a "vote of no confidence" tonight from fellow council members and that her ego is bruised.

"But that's OK," Vogler continued. "The voters have been very good to me."

Vogler, who was mayor in 2007, was the top vote-getter in the 2006 election -- beating out fellow council members Smith and Ed Pack -- and in 2002.

The next regular meeting of the Hesperia City Council will take place on Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Hesperia City Hall, 9700 Seventh Avenue.

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/HesperiaStar.